Captain Freed; First Military Success for President Obama
After “a swift firefight that killed three of the four Somali pirates who had been holding” Captain Richard Phillips “for days in a lifeboat off the coast of Africa,” the U.S. Navy freed that kidnapped man and captured the surviving kidnapper.
Kudos to the heroes of our armed forces.
Since President Obama signed off on this mission, I congratulate him on acting decisively to release the captain without agreeing to any of the pirates’ demands. Kudos, Mr. President, you got this one right.
Blogger Tigerhawk (via Glenn) has two questions: “What will we do with the prisoner? Do we believe that this action is sufficient to restore deterrence against piracy?“
While we need do much more to keep the sea lanes open and free from such threats, we should be celebrating today. Credit is due to our armed forces and the President. He ordered the rescue plan; they executed it. It’s a good day for America.
Let’s hope the President’s success today spurs him to act so aggressively when similar threats arise and to prevent them from happening.
UPDATE:Â Abe Greenwald: ”The U.S. did not dither with negotiations or treat this as a criminal matter. It acted unilaterally and with force to free a brave man.“
UP-UPDATE: Drawing on his knowledge of ancient history, Victor Davis Hanson alerts us to what we must do next. ”To end Somali piracy, disproportionate measures against the shore should be taken—for every one pirate assault, a lethal air assault should immediately follow“:
Pompey’s victories over the Cilician pirates, the Venetian clean-up of the Mediterranean sea-lanes, and the British success in stopping Caribarrean piracy were all predicated on going ashore, destroying the docks, headquarters, and homes of the pirates.
UP-UP-UPDATE: Looksl like the Captain is himself a hero of his own rescue. ”Reports say Captain Phillips jumped overboard again, and the US Navy moved in — killing three of the pirates and taking one into custody.“
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Here here, on all counts.
Comment by CR — April 12, 2009 @ 4:42 pm - April 12, 2009
3 down, how many to go?
And yes, I’ll give credit to the president for pulling the trigger and saving our fellow american.
Comment by The_Livewire — April 12, 2009 @ 6:13 pm - April 12, 2009
Captain Phillips not only saved his own life, he bailed out Dear Leader. Had Phillips not jumped out of the boat and made an attempt to escape, the Navy never would have been permitted to open fire. Congratulations to Captain Phillips.
Comment by WVinMN — April 12, 2009 @ 6:29 pm - April 12, 2009
Let’s just rejoice on this Easter that all of this happened and Americans are safe.
Now, let’s bomb Somolia and be finished.
Comment by PatriotMom — April 12, 2009 @ 6:35 pm - April 12, 2009
The brave Captain jumped WHILE THE US WAS NEGOTIATING with the 4th pirate — the SEALS saw he was in danger when the pirates pointed their weapons at him and used their snipers to end the standoff.
How long they would have dithered with negotiations had the brave Captain not jumped (for the second time) is unknown, but there is no way your claim stands up to the facts.
David
Comment by LifeTrek — April 12, 2009 @ 6:52 pm - April 12, 2009
The brave Captain jumped WHILE THE US WAS NEGOTIATING with the 4th pirate — the SEALS saw he was in danger when the pirates pointed their weapons at him and used their snipers to end the standoff.
How long they would have dithered with negotiations had the brave Captain not jumped (for the second time) is unknown, but there is no way Abe’s claim stands up to the facts.
David
Comment by LifeTrek — April 12, 2009 @ 6:53 pm - April 12, 2009
Why do my comments always get eaten by the spam filter when I use my real Email address — this one is fake.
The claim that we didn’t ‘dither with negotiations’ does not hold up to the facts considering we were negotiating with one of the pirates when the Captain took matters into his own hands forcing the SEAL snipers to act.
How long the dithering would have continued if this hadn’t happened is unknown.
David
Comment by LifeTrek — April 12, 2009 @ 6:56 pm - April 12, 2009
such a warm and loving message on this holiday. . .bomb Somalia, just for the actions of a few radicals, just a true Xtrian message.
no wonder conservatives have a hard time gaining the respect they are asking for. . .
Comment by rusty — April 12, 2009 @ 6:59 pm - April 12, 2009
That the SEALs were deployed and allowed to take the advantage presented when Captain Phillips made a run for it is good enough for me. I’m with PatriotMom: thrilled that the good guys are safe.
Comment by SoCalRobert — April 12, 2009 @ 7:24 pm - April 12, 2009
sigh of relief here. Grateful that Captain Phillips is safe. Grateful that Obama acted decisively on this one. We need to do a lot more, but kudos to the president for doing this the right way.
Comment by Leah — April 12, 2009 @ 7:30 pm - April 12, 2009
That 16 yr old pirate mother will be on the streets in Somalia screaming for the Americans to release her baby. I can see the international community demanding the 16 yr old be release. We all know how the ACLU and the liberals were screaming for Bush to release the 16 yr old Al Queida boy in Gitmo.
How many Navy Ships it took to rescue 1 American from 4 Somalian teenage Pirates in a little life boat?
Ans : 3 naval destroyers, 1 naval hopsital, 15 helicopters, several reconnaisance aircrafts.
Obama Strategy: Jump in the water twice if you want to be save.
Comment by KMX — April 12, 2009 @ 7:48 pm - April 12, 2009
And finally the Maserk Alabama was under pirate attack for over a week. Why it took the Obama administration so long to give the Navy the authority to move in. Only after the captain was captured did help came.
Comment by KMX — April 12, 2009 @ 7:51 pm - April 12, 2009
Two observations:
1. This was not a “military success” for Obama. It was a military success for the U.S. Navy, in general, and the SEALS in particular.
2. Obamians everywhere must have very mixed feelings right now about this operation. Must I explain why?
Comment by MarkJ — April 12, 2009 @ 7:54 pm - April 12, 2009
That 16 yr old pirate mother will be on the streets in Somalia screaming for the Americans to release her baby. I can see the international community demandign the 16 yr old be release. We all know how the ACLU and the liberals were screaming for Bush to release the 16 yr old Al Queida boy in Gitmo.
How many Navy Ships it took President Obama to rescue 1 American from 4 Somalian teenage Pirates in a little life boat?
Ans: 3 Naval destroyers, 1 naval hospital, 15 helicopters and several reconaisance aircrafts.
Obama Strategy: Jump in the water twice if you want to be save.
Comment by KMX — April 12, 2009 @ 7:55 pm - April 12, 2009
I thought we’re supposed to believe that all of our military was in Iraq & Afghanistan. Where did these SEALs come from?
Comment by ThatGayConservative — April 12, 2009 @ 9:07 pm - April 12, 2009
Well, well, well. Someone around here ought to feel pretty ridiculous. Lots of people, actually. Maybe next time, we can dispense with the hysterics?
I won’t hold my breath.
Comment by Levi — April 12, 2009 @ 9:12 pm - April 12, 2009
Don’t tell the libs:
lest they start supporting the Somali Merchant Marine Organizers.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/maersk-a.htm
Comment by ThatGayConservative — April 12, 2009 @ 9:18 pm - April 12, 2009
If you do, it’ll take four days for you to be rescued.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — April 12, 2009 @ 9:20 pm - April 12, 2009
Now maybe the Obamateleprompter administration will think again about gutting the Navy by 200 ships. Will the free press please ask him the question after one of the parties are over.
Comment by Gene on Pennsylvania — April 12, 2009 @ 9:33 pm - April 12, 2009
Did he? How do we know for sure? It’s possible that Secretary Gates signed off on it. And/or that Obama or Gates signed off on something cautious, then had their hands forced by the good Captain and by local Navy personnel.
I’m sure our breathlessly-in-love media will now sing hosannas to The One. I just want to know the real deal. If a decision from Obama really was involved, and it really was the right one: then yes, kudos to him.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — April 12, 2009 @ 10:04 pm - April 12, 2009
Some of the criticisms just sound like knee-jerk nonsense. It is actually kind of difficult to parse out what exactly happened at this point. Articles I was reading on this topic earlier today indicated negotiations had been cut off effectively by the Americans when the Somali elders refused to allow the pirates to be arrested, and the Americans effectively hung-up on them. “Negotiations” did continue at the scene with the fourth pirate who had previously jumped ship earlier in the night and had been taken onto the Bainbridge (the only surviving pirate). At that point, it was pretty evident one of two things was going to happen… the Navy was either going to wait out the pirates who had to be running low on water and food (when you only have one hostage, you can’t really kill him to exact demands), or make a move when circumstances unfolded in a certain way. Obama had previously issued a fairly “political” order to the commander on the scene, which was to take “decisive action” if the captain’s life was in danger at some point. The captain (for the second time) managed to jump off the life boat, the pirates pointed assault rifles at him, and SEAL snipers managed to take out the pirates (apparently with all head shots… pretty remarkable if accurate).
Comment by CR — April 12, 2009 @ 10:40 pm - April 12, 2009
This goes to show why we need to beef up our Navy ship numbers. China is building battle vessels at an alarming rate. Support construction of American made cruisers, destroyers & frigates!
Comment by Jimbo — April 12, 2009 @ 10:43 pm - April 12, 2009
Although, according to an article appearing in the Washington Post, it sounds like the captain did NOT manage to jump ship a second time but, rather the pirates provoked the scenario by bringing the captain to the top of the lifeboat and pointing a gun at his back, which is when the snipers opened fire. If that version is true, the captain is still a hero but the scenario was not one of his making and goes back much more to standing orders and Rules of Engagement for the situation. We probably won’t know the full story for a few days.
Regardless, hopefully it means we’ll be taking much sterner measures towards the pirates… these guys operate fairly openly in Somalia and, indeed, some of them are even that country’s version of their “coast guard”. Time to shut this nonsense down. Might have been Dan or Bruce who posted someone suggested disproportionate response… for every time there is a fatality, we go into shore, wipe out the pirates, their base of operations and their homes. Make the risks so high that none of these jokers want to take it.
Comment by CR — April 12, 2009 @ 10:48 pm - April 12, 2009
#18… China and, not that they’re an enemy, but India is as well. I don’t know if we need a larger fleet, but some hard planning needs to be done about balancing the different requirements of a conflict with a navy such as China versus the more sort of littoral and coastal operations involved in shutting down pirates and protecting shipping routes (another target for terrorists). The downsizing of the Zumwalt-class (spelling?) struck me as a very bad idea.
Comment by CR — April 12, 2009 @ 10:51 pm - April 12, 2009
Officials spread lies for Obama about Captain Phillips rescue to make Dear Leader look good.
http://www.bluegrasspundit.com/2009/04/officials-spread-lies-for-obama-about.html
Comment by Juju — April 13, 2009 @ 1:24 am - April 13, 2009
I’m no Obama-lover, but let’s give the man some credit. He could have prohibited any use of force (a la Peanut Jimmeh), or some such. At least he was willing to let the men on the spot make their own decisions.
Comment by Casey — April 13, 2009 @ 2:35 am - April 13, 2009
I always considered myself a gay conservative, but I really find the tone of this blog to be off-putting, bordering on disgusting.
First, you taunt the President with “America Held Hostage” posts, making a ridiculous comparison between 1 American held for a few days by financially motivated non-state actors, and a politically-motivated, state-backed mass hostage taking at a US embassy.
Then, after taunting the President for inaction, you give him only the most grudging credit for having “signed off” on the rescue. (I wonder how many times the authors of this blog used that passive aggressive phrase in reference to military action authorized by Republican presidents.) Even worse, a number of commenters here complain that there wasn’t a firefight sooner, even though they know little or nothing about the position of the captive prior to today or the overall tactical situation on the lifeboat. Of course, if the captive had been killed, this blog would have crowed about it being Obama’s Desert One. This is a pathetic a mirror image of how the Left conducted itself vis a vis Pres. Bush.
Keep it up and your blog will be as respected and influential as the Free Republic.
Comment by Bill — April 13, 2009 @ 3:16 am - April 13, 2009
Grudging credit, Bill? Hardly. “Signed off” was just one of several expressions I used to describe what the president did.
I praised the president, congratulated him and called his action a “success.” Seems you’re just looking to criticize an remind you that Andrew Sullivan also considers himself a conservative, but that doesn’t make him one.
Comment by GayPatriotWest — April 13, 2009 @ 3:30 am - April 13, 2009
[...] and What’s missing from Obama’s statement and A tribute to our Navy SEAL snipers GayPatriot: Captain Freed; First Military Success for President Obama Vets On The Watch: Woo [...]
Pingback by Resurrection - Blessed Easter, Captain Phillips Freed from Somali Pirates « Frugal Café Blog Zone — April 13, 2009 @ 4:31 am - April 13, 2009
*sniff-sniff*
I smell astroturf aka fraudulent “commenters”. I’m just surprised Bill/Neptune/whomever didn’t start off with “I voted for Bush twice, but….”. That, or drop names of blue-blooded conservatives he shared drinks with in the Hamptons.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — April 13, 2009 @ 5:26 am - April 13, 2009
#15 Yes Levi, you should be embarressed. After all, many of us were discussing the correct method of dealing with pirates (kill them) and you were saying we shouldn’t. Looking like in the President getting one right, you were proved wrong, again.
Comment by The_Livewire — April 13, 2009 @ 6:42 am - April 13, 2009
I surfed over here from Michelle Malkin’s blog on this topic. I am just happy he is safe. I think “Blackwater” could handle the security for these vessels that need to use this shipping lane. Our military is busy this doesn’t require the military.
Does anyone know is there a site that is giving tips on Tea Party Signs for the 15th?
Comment by keyboard jockey — April 13, 2009 @ 8:47 am - April 13, 2009
Agreed.
But, what I came to say – From a current Reuters article:
Translation: In recent months, piracy has become huge and, to normal people, an unacceptable problem.
Translation: Obama granted a vague authority to use “appropriate” force and USN commanders on the scene decided it was “appropriate” to shoot the guys. Kudos (real) to the Navy commanders on scene and kudos (sarcastic) to Obama for staying out of the commanders’ way, thus boldly risking the anger of the American Left.
Translation: He hasn’t been.
Emphasis added. Translation: The pirates don’t need to be eradicated; they just need a bailout or loan modification program. Then they’ll be nicer human beings. If they aren’t nice it’s because we deserve it for being Westerners.
Translation: The pirates agree with Obama, that they are actually nice people when you get to know them or they would be, if the Americans hadn’t started it all, by being rich and there.
Never mind that the entire underlying premise of piracy is that if you don’t pay the ransom, THEY ARE GOING TO KILL YOU.
Translation: Reuters suffers from Stockholm Syndrome. “The pirates really are nice. They shared their primitive native goat meat with us, in between beatings and threats to kill us.”
Cue a lefty defending the pirates…
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — April 13, 2009 @ 10:50 am - April 13, 2009
Entirely true. And: How low our standards have fallen.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — April 13, 2009 @ 10:55 am - April 13, 2009
Huffington Post: “One man’s pirate is another man’s coast guard.”
Apparently, part of the left is cheering the pirates as environmental activists, while the lefty blog “Crooks and Liars” says the pirates are acting in self-defense.
Comment by V the K — April 13, 2009 @ 10:59 am - April 13, 2009
Didn’t Michael Moore say that the al Qaeda and Baathist terrorists in Iraq were the “Minutemen” of their country?
Lefties defending the enemies of peace and human freedom: An old, sad story.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — April 13, 2009 @ 11:04 am - April 13, 2009
oh, and Bill, check the title of the post, I called the action a success for the president.
Comment by GayPatriotWest — April 13, 2009 @ 12:31 pm - April 13, 2009
A previous comment posted immediately below, leads me to ask (skip to bottom for the rest)
“Two observations:
1. This was not a “military success†for Obama. It was a military success for the U.S. Navy, in general, and the SEALS in particular.
2. Obamians everywhere must have very mixed feelings right now about this operation. Must I explain why?
Comment by MarkJ — April 12, 2009 @ 7:54 pm – April 12, 2009″
According to your logic chain, if this wasn’t a success for Obama but was for the military, then was Iraq a success for Bush and a failure for our generals and the fine troopers on the ground? Really think what it takes to carry out a mission like this and don’t act so impulsively from your conservative bias until a bit more is known.
I’m a strong liberal and I prayed hard everyday for eight years that Bush would succeed because if he failed then our country failed. Well he did and so has our country. We can’t take that kind of failure much longer. Obama’s success is needed as the country needs it even more. He isn’t going to make us Sweden, only keep the oligarich predators at bay for a change. He isn’t a cookie cutter liberal and is showing real depth, although I wish he supported the Bill of Rights more.
Second, I have no mixed feelings. Being a liberal doesn’t mean soft on defense or a strong military. It means thinking about what kind of military our money buys and how that military is effectively deployed for the defense of the country.
Comment by A NonRandom Guy — April 13, 2009 @ 4:53 pm - April 13, 2009
Would those “partners” be the same ones who gave him the finger when he went groveling for assistance in Afghanistan? He trashed his own country to curry favor and they still told him to go to hell.
I thought everybody was supposed to love us now.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — April 13, 2009 @ 4:54 pm - April 13, 2009
[...] Captain Freed; First Military Success for President Obama [...]
Pingback by GayPatriot » Fake Gay Conservatives in Our Comment Section — April 13, 2009 @ 5:18 pm - April 13, 2009
I guess the right wingers can cut out the Obama-is-weak talk for, oh, maybe the next 24 hours.
Comment by Terrible Leftist — April 13, 2009 @ 7:15 pm - April 13, 2009
Thank you to GayPatriot for having the decency to congratulate President Obama. It is a petty conservative who withholds it. Those who do would be the first to have blamed him had the operation gone awry.
Comment by Tom the Redhunter — April 13, 2009 @ 10:34 pm - April 13, 2009
#41 – “It is a petty conservative who withholds it.”
So the liberals who withheld any praise for Bush in terms of AIDS funding and research, no federal DOMA and keeping America safe since 9/11 are petty as well, right?
Regards,
Peter H.
Comment by Peter Hughes — April 14, 2009 @ 3:03 pm - April 14, 2009
#42: I would certainly say yes on the first two counts. The third is, I think, a bit too nuanced and complicated an issue. No argument there were, in fact, no attacks and that was due in large part (if not entirely) to measures taken by Bush’s administration, but there is a lot of argument over the methods used and whether they necessary and, if not, were consistent with our national ideals. (If they were necessary, then I’ll agree “ideals” have to go on the backburner, but I admit I’m not in a position to judge that and unless a person has a TS clearance I don’t think he would be in a position to judge either.) But, that’s just me. Definitely agree on the first two, however.
Comment by CR — April 14, 2009 @ 5:26 pm - April 14, 2009